Two years ago, the legal aid clinic at Allahabad University’s Faculty of Law was inaugurated with much fanfare – the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court was present, along with the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Ratan Lal Hangloo, and other dignitaries. However, when Careers360 visited it on the afternoon of December 11, it was locked.
The administration said that it works off‚ and on. Students said the opposite – they have seen very little activity at the clinic. A final-year student of LLB, asking not to be named, said he “only saw the clinic being inaugurated two years ago”. He added: “Many senior advocates come and teach us who are also part of the legal aid programme and can do a lot to help, but I have not seen much happening here.”
The state of Allahabad University’s legal aid clinic, and the students’ experience, sum up the general apathy with which legal aid clinics in some of the best-known law colleges in the states are now treated.
But legal aid clinics are meant to serve a crucial function.
Role of legal aid clinics
The National Legal Services Authority, or NALSA, was established in 1995 to set up legal aid clinics and coordinate their activities. In 1997, the legal education regulator, Bar Council of India (BCI), made the study of legal aid and having a clinic compulsory for every law college. The clinic must be overseen by a senior faculty member, have an advocate appointed by state branch of NALSA and run by final-year students of law.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
'We have a completion rate of 80-90%'
During an interaction, Mayank Kumar, co-founder and managing director of upGrad, spoke to Sheena Sachdeva about new courses in accounting and management, the profile of learners, trends in online MBA courses, and more. Edited excerpts from the conversation below
New roles and spaces
Online MBA has helped many working professionals climb up the office hierarchy or even pivot to an entirely new career. But there are challenges.
'Committed to industry-relevant learning'
International Management Institute (IMI), New Delhi, is India's first corporate-sponsored B-school. It offers three PG diplomas in management - the flagship PGDM with 300 seats, as well as human resource management and business and financial studies with 60 each. Himadri Das, director general, IMI, discussed the challenges posed by competition among private business schools, the importance of diversity, and IMI's NIRF rankings with Sanjay. Edited excerpts from the interview.
National Insurance Academy plans expansion to meet rising demand
The National Insurance Academy (NIA), now situated in Pune, was established jointly by the ministry of finance and all the major public sector undertakings (PSUs) in insurance. Originally a training institute for insurance industry professionals, it has been offering a postgraduate diploma in management (PGDM) since 2004 and has placed 100% of its students all through.
The era of MBA in sustainability
As companies are increasingly pushed to meet environmental compliances, management institutes are revamping their curricula with specialised MBA programmes in sustainability or launching new programmes
Despite good record, SRCC's PGDM faces degree hurdle
Delhi University's Shri Ram College of Commerce started its postgraduate diploma in Global Business Operations (GBO) 25 years ago. Principal Simrit Kaur spoke to Shradha Chettri on their effort to convert the diploma into a degree programme, changes required in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and more. Edited excerpts
Managing produce, from farm to plate
Agribusiness managers are in great demand, both on the 'input' side of agriculture - seeds, fertilizer, machinery businesses - as well as in the processing of the 'output'
Creating 'innovators with conscience'
The SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai, has been the top Indian institution in the Financial Times' (FT) Masters in Management rankings for two years in a row. Varun Nagaraj, dean of SPJIMR, spoke to Atul Krishna about what the institute does differently, its plans, the future of business education, and the FT and National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) lists. Edited excerpts below
'Quality management education that is equitable': FMS Dean
The Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) at the University of Delhi (DU) is one of India's premier business schools offering MBA courses at a relatively low cost, compared to most leading business schools in India. Celebrating its 70th year, it is also one of the first university-based business schools. In an interview with Sanjay, head and dean of FMS A Venkat Raman spoke about the functioning of a business school under a central university, challenges, courses and future plans. He also spoke on the Common Admission Test (CAT) and its impact on diversity in student cohorts. Edited excerpts
'THE CAMPUS IS AMAZING'
Four new IIMS - Bodh Gaya, Sambalpur, Jammu and Visakhapatnam - have found their permanent homes and they are beautiful, environment friendly and efficient campuses. Here's a quick tour.